I Completed 80s Music

I Completed 80s Music

In 2016 I started listening to every single UK chart entry from January 1st 1980 to December 31st 1989. This is the story of that journey, the bands, the music and how 80s music unfolded through lots of lovely playlists. If you’re new to 80s music, consider this a great entry point. If you’re here for nostalgia, you’re in for a treat! Wham! Duran Duran, Billy Ocean, Bros, The Smiths - you name it, I have you covered. As midlife crises go, it could be worse! Cover art by Florian Schmetz. Go check him out at Unsplash!

Episodes

October 15, 2026 • 45 mins

Welcome to 1983 and year 4 of our quest! Playlist 53 starts with Wham! celebrating unemployment, we travel the high and low roads with Runrig and meet Billy Griffin. Joe Jackson takes us for a night on the town before the Stranglers get all Parisian. Men at Work have an iconic 80s moment and we pop and lock our way to the end of the show courtesy of Grandmaster Flash.

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Merrrrry retro Christmas and a Happy 1983! And we have some gifts as we finish playlist 52 with some magic tricks and a blue story! Then we're into the celebrations proper as we reflect back on the year that was 1982, hand out some awards and then look forward to all the treats 1983 has in store!

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It's the last playlist of 1982 and (almost) the last episode of that year as we jump onto playlist 52. The Maisonettes take us down Heartache Avenue, we get two Christmas singles, Fleetwood Mac make their welcome return after 3 years, Dionne Warwick signs off, Laura Branigan signs the Stanley Cup and John Williams shows us how movie music should be done - Elllliiiottt!

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We start with The Beat and end with a Beat Surrender this week as we roll into December 1982 and the end of The Jam. Cliff Richard also limbers up for a run of Christmas Hits, we learn why we all briefly got fascinated by the pan pipes, Phil Collins goes Motown and goes massive and Malcolm McLaren goes from agent provocateur to artiste provocateur!

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It's almost December 1982 and as we open our advent calendar who do we find behind the cardboard doors? (it's the 80s, so no milk chocolate) Bing Crosby and David Bowie! We also introduce the Pale Fountains for one brief dalliance and bathe in the creative majesty of The The. Bucks Fizz get hot and bothered in the kitchen, Culture Club can't stop dropping hits, Madness win an Ivor Novello and Ultravox enter a Faustian pact! It's qu...

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He's only gone and done it! The tonne! 

Yes folks, somehow, amazingly, this is the 100th episode of the pod. 

After a brief celebration and discussion about how technically backward I now am, we get back into the show proper. Modern Romance kick off the party reminding us the 80s were the best years of our lives. Meanwhile Duran Duran get on a yacht and ruin some perfectly tailored suits. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart re-...

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And when I get that feeling it's like podcast healing! Yes folks as we reach the cusp of the tonne (episode 99 over all!), Playlist 50 brings us Marvin Gaye's brief comeback. Hall and Oates get chased by a panther, America bring their box of magic tricks, while a Flock of Seagulls consider a burgeoning photography career. Donna Summer makes her step into the 80s with the help of literally everyone, Clannad make us feel a feeling an...

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Cornettos and operatic voices at the ready! It's time for the ultimate cheesefest in this episode as we reach November 1982 and Renee & Renato! We meet Men At Work, have a drizzly flirtation with Supertramp and Heaven 17 kick off their Luxury Gap release. Meanwhile Rush brood on suburban isolation and Blancmange release their biggest hit. All in the latter half of playlist 49!

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You may not wanna dance, but this week's pod will have you on your feet to Eddy Grant and Playlist 49, October 1982. We also introduce a little ditty from John Mellencamp and both Dionne Warwick and Killing Joke make their first appearance. We tell the brief story of The Mood, Diana Ross is hungry for muscles and we finally say goodbye to ABBA!

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Wham! Nuff said. 

In all seriousness though, this is a biggie. The second half of playlist 48 and October 1982 introduces one of the biggest groups of the 80s to the fold. We also get an inspirational anthem from Toyah, Julio Iglesias makes everyone's mums put a song on repeat a little too often, Kid Creole talks paternity, we briefly meet Blue Zoo and Kool & The Gang have us dancing yet again. 

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It's a mad world this week in 1982 as we finally introduce Bath's finest, Tears For Fears. The Pretenders also find strength in tragedy, Air Supply find love and Spandau Ballet find a new wardrobe. The Kids from Fame bring an emotional closure, Dexy's raise our spirits and Steve Winwood proves that 3 times the charm! 

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Pass the podcast on the left hand side! We finally meet Musical Youth and clear up any confusion on what they were passing as we complete September 1982 and playlist 47. The Clash and The Jam (almost) break up, Peter Gabriel is shocking, Ultravox are reaping and Roxy Music comes to an end, which has us weeping. 

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Links to Playlist 47:

Spotify

Apple Music

In case t...

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It's gonna be hot in the city tonight as we finally introduce Boy George and Culture Club, Billy Idol releases the aforementioned hit, Patrick Cowley brings the High NRG and we Zoom in with Fat Larry's Band amongst others!

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Links to Playlist 47:

Spotify

Apple Music

In case the hyperlinks don't work, the tracks are:

1. Patrick Cowley - Do You Wanna Funk

2. Billy Idol - H...

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Don't push me, cos this pod is close to the edge! As we slip further into August 1982, we do indeed finally reach, "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash (or was it?!), Evelyn King drops a club classic, UB40 release their last socially conscious song before the big time, Jennifer Holliday proves we're gonna love her, ABC reach the end of the lexicon and Dire Straits get every dramatic!

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This week you hold a glittering prize in your hand and we save a prayer for all the good 80s Music! In the second half of playlist 46 Chicago enter the fray while Frida breaks from ABBA. Judas Priest make a roaring return while Duran Duran prove their ballad chops. Afrika Bambaataa drops a cornerstone of rap, Simple Minds are in their pomp and we say goodbye to Haircut 100. 

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You'll be walking on sunshine with this week's pod. Why? Well as we delve deep into August 1982 we find in the record bins, Rockers Revenge, the Psychedelic Furs brining the film soundtracks, Carly Simon (that was the Why? link), David Sylvian breaking from Japan, Thomas Dolby and Toto Coelo being hungry for more than fame!

Please help fund the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/80smixtaper

Links to Playlist 45:

Spotify

Apple Music

In...

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This week the pod gets the eye of the tiger as we step into late July 1982. The Stranglers play a trick on their record label, Kid Creole tells the tale of a crook turned informant, Madness release possibly the best car-related song ever and the McRarys bring a little gospel to proceedings. In the latter half we meet the Boys Town Gang and learn of their impact on the High NRG scene, are Blancmange Britain's answer to Talking Heads...

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3 6 9, the goose drank wine, the monkey played a podcast which was sublime! Yes folks, this week we continue deeper into July 1982 and the Belle Stars get us all tangled up with the clapping song, Chas & Dave take us on a "proppa" British holiday, Hot Chocolate bring the school romance and Yazoo release the next evolution in the clubbing genre amongst others. 

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...

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Fame! I wanna podcast forever! Or at least until the 80s Music runs out. We finally slip into July 1982 and hit Irene Cara's big moment that sent mums and their kids into a spin buying leotards and legwarmers. Bananarama strike out on their own and AC/DC strike the cannon fuse. Postman pat takes us on a nostalgia delivery, the Tygers of Pan Tang take us on a rendezvous. John McEnroe throws a musical strop and we end with The Damned...

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Ready for some happy talk? Well you've come to the right place! As we crawl into July 1982 Captain Sensible releases on of the most surprising number 1s of the decade. Asia get caught up in the heat of the moment, David Essex takes us nightclubbing, Dennis Brown is the crown prince of reggae, Dexys drop the biggest seller of 1982 and Trio bring the Casio organ to the fore! Hear all this and more anecdotes as we slip into the second...

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